'Roads have become paddy fields': Locals stage unusual protest in Barishal

Residents have planted paddy seedlings on two badly damaged roads in Barishal's Gournadi upazila to protest what they say is the authorities' failure to repair them despite years of deterioration.

The symbolic protest was staged to highlight the condition of the roads, which locals say have become so muddy and waterlogged during the rainy season that they resemble paddy fields.

Residents, students, patients and other commuters have been facing difficulties using the roads, particularly after rainfall.

During a recent visit, this correspondent found numerous potholes along Halipad Road, the only major road in Gournadi municipality connecting the area with the Dhaka-Barishal Highway. Much of the 1.25-kilometre road has lost its surface and turned into a muddy track.

Residents said around five villages depend on the road for access to schools and colleges, the upazila health complex and the highway.

"We are not against anyone. We simply want the problem to be resolved quickly," local residents said. "If the two roads are repaired soon, the long-standing suffering of people in the area will ease."

They urged senior officials to inspect the roads and take immediate steps to repair them.

A road in Shaulkar village under Ward 4 of Batajor Union is in a similarly poor condition, residents said.

They said both roads have remained in poor condition for a long time, with little effective action taken to repair them. The situation has worsened during the ongoing rainy season, as stagnant water and mud have made normal movement difficult.

Students are struggling to travel to educational institutions, while transporting patients during emergencies has also become difficult, locals said.

Gournadi Upazila Nirbahi Officer and municipal administrator Md Ibrahim said officials concerned would be sent to inspect the roads after the rain subsides.

"Necessary measures will be taken based on their report," he said.